Written by: Amanda Levison, M.S., LMHC, LPC, CCBT
Yesterday, the Neurofeedback and Counseling Center of Pennsylvania had a small set up at the 1st Annual Walk for Children with Apraxia. It was an amazing event with over 100 people there to support the cause and they raised over $33,000. I was so moved by the speakers they had and the positive interactions I had with people as well as witnessed others have. It was so filled with love and support. There were a few smaller teams within the walk but the largest were the "Motor Mouths," who are pictured here and raised well over $20,000 on their own. Very impressive!
I had a display to talk about Neurofeedback and the benefits it provides as Neurofeedback helps to calm the brain and stabilize it and childhood apraxia of speech (CAS) is a motor speech disorder. Therefore, it helps the child who receives the treatment. Children with CAS have problems saying sounds, syllables, and words. This is not because of muscle weakness or paralysis. The brain has problems planning to move the body parts (e.g., lips, jaw, tongue) needed for speech. The child knows what he or she wants to say, but his/her brain has difficulty coordinating the muscle movements necessary to say those words. So with the proper calming techniques, the words would progress.
I left feeling great after being a part of such a wonderful cause. Thank you Bonni for introducing me to the coordinators and for your support and thank you everyone who took the time to learn about Neurofeedback and the benefits.
* Pictured top right: the walkers returning from the walk. Top left: my small display. Bottom left: Motor Mouth Team. Bottom Right: Me, once I left the event.
